Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Govt to stock up on flu vaccine for health workers

Updated at 10:31 pm on 2 July 2009

The Government is to announce soon that it will buy early supplies of a vaccine against swine flu for use by front-line health workers.

Health authorities have an arrangement to buy an egg-based vaccine when it is available in coming months.

However, they are also thought likely to purchase an alternative, cell-culture vaccine in the meantime.

Health Minister Tony Ryall would not go into detail on Thursday, but said an announcement is imminent in the next few days.

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More than 800 confirmed cases

Health Ministry figures show that confirmed cases of swine flu have risen by 114 nationally to 825 on Thursday.

Officials say that total is now just a small proportion of the actual number of cases in the community.

Deputy director of public health Fran McGrath also says that as cases rise, the numbers of people with more severe illness will also rise.

Hospitals say they are feeling the pressure of increased cases of swine and seasonal flu.

Wellington continues to lead the country with 275 confirmed cases of swine flu, followed by Canterbury on 214 and Auckland on 195.

Meanwhile, an infectious disease specialist says greater Wellington has a higher rate of hospital admissions with swine flu than the Australian state of Victoria.

Tim Blackmore says Wellington hospital is confirming 15 cases a day and 29 people are in hospital with swine flu.

Dr Blackmore says 18 people were in hospital last Friday in Victoria, which has a population of about 5 million.

Greater Wellington, with a population of about 445,000, also had 18 people in hospital that day, but that has since increased.

Dr Blackmore says the virus is mild to moderate for most people but those most at risk, including children and those with respiratory diseases, may need help breathing.

He says swine flu is most strong in the Maori and Pacific Island communities in Wellington. It seems to have begun in Wainuiomata and Porirua.

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